Answered By: Morgan Chivers
Last Updated: Sep 16, 2019     Views: 25

Some 3D models are perfectly legitimate as viewable digital models, but are not appropriate for 3D printing.

Not all methods of 3D printing are capable of effectively producing the same types of shapes.

Models that might be easily printable with an SLA printer are not printable with the FDM printers we have in the FabLab using standard support strategies.

Dissolvable support materials can make some of these models printable using FDM printers. Currently, the only printer we have that is capable of printing with dissolvable supports is also locked into a proprietary filament source, so it is $0.50/gram for the model material and $0.50/gram for the support material. We are actively working on a different printer that would allow us to use our regular printing filament ($0.05/gram) with a dissolvable support material to be able to more affordably facilitate complex prints.